Chicago Bears: Five bold predictions for the 2017 season

5. Leonard Floyd piles up double-digit sacks

The Chicago Bears specifically targeted Leonard Floyd in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The Bears traded up two spots to snag Floyd with the ninth overall pick in the draft. In college, Floyd primarily played an inside linebacker position, but he showed elite level athleticism and ideal size to play on the edge at the next level.

The Bears drafted Floyd with the idea of him becoming a high-level edge rusher for the team and it did not take long to see that he has massive upside at the position.

Floyd struggled with injuries throughout his rookie season and was only able to take the field for 12 games. However, Floyd was able to make a significant impact in those 12 games, piling up seven sacks on the year.

Floyd was immediately able to show massive pass rush upside as a rookie and is undoubtedly one of their most important players on the roster. Floyd shows tremendous burst off of the line of scrimmage and has the length and athleticism to create consistent pressure from the edge.

He is not much of a run defender, but Floyd undoubtedly has elite pass rush upside and is strong in coverage. Floyd legitimately has a chance to become one of the premier pass rusher in the NFL, and honestly, it does not get much more valuable than that.

I fully expect Floyd to take a step forward in 2017 and at least hit 10 sacks on the year. If he is able to stay healthy for the entire season, the 14-17 sack range is not out of the realm of possibility.